It has been revealed that Boeing has stretched the 777-8X aircraft to allow an increase in passenger capacity and range.
As reported by AeroTime, the comparison is as follows, as first noticed by Max Kingsley-Jones at Cirium:
- Before:
- 384 passengers.
- 8,730nm of range.
- Length: 229 feet.
- After:
- 395 passengers in a two-class configuration.
- 8,745nm of range.
- 232 feet and inches.
A Better Selling Point for the Boeing 777-8X?
The better selling point for prospective customers on this would be the increase in passenger capacity by around 11 people.
[monsterinsights_popular_posts_inline]
For Boeing, the -8X could be used to target low-cost carriers who offer Premium Economy and standard Economy.
In the past, we have seen low-cost carriers opt for the Airbus A330neo and the A350-900 in higher-density formats.
Cebu Pacific is an ample example of this, in which its A330neos can seat 459 passengers in an all-economy set-up.
If they opted for the 777X in an all-economy setup only, then it could very well exceed the 500-passenger mark, should they want something like that in the future.
Could this be the fact that Boeing is setting the 777X in the following format?:
- 777-8X – Low-cost carriers.
- 777-9X – Premium, legacy carriers.
AviationSource has approached Boeing for a comment on this, and at the time of publication, they have not responded to our queries. We will update the article if a response is sent to us.
Overall…
Overall, this is an interesting switch-up from Boeing in the context of the passenger side of the -8X program.
With there being more orders for the -9X compared to its smaller sister, it will be interesting to see whether this change will work in the context of securing more orders.
As air travel rebounds, low-cost carriers with larger aircraft could potentially find the -8X more attractive compared to the A330neo, especially if it means handling over 500 passengers per flight.
All will be revealed, no doubt, in due course, but it is an interesting change made on the quiet.
Click the banner to subscribe to our weekly newsleter.
